50 Idioms for Knowledge with Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for knowledge
1. Know the ropes
Meaning: To understand how something works.
In a Sentence: After a month on the job, she finally knows the ropes.
Other Ways to Say: Be familiar, understand the process
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard.
In a Sentence: I have exams coming, so it’s time to hit the books.
Other Ways to Say: Study intensely, get down to studying
3. Knowledge is power
Meaning: Having knowledge gives one advantage.
In a Sentence: They say knowledge is power in the business world.
Other Ways to Say: Information gives control, be informed
4. Be in the know
Meaning: To be well-informed.
In a Sentence: She’s always in the know about fashion trends.
Other Ways to Say: Well-informed, updated
5. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do something.
In a Sentence: It takes time to learn the ropes of playing a musical instrument.
Other Ways to Say: Get the hang of it; Master the basics
6. Brain like a sponge
Meaning: Someone who absorbs information quickly.
In a Sentence: My son has a brain like a sponge — he remembers everything.
Other Ways to Say: Fast learner, highly receptive
7. Wise beyond one’s years
Meaning: Showing wisdom at a young age.
In a Sentence: That child is wise beyond her years.
Other Ways to Say: Mature, insightful
8. A walking encyclopedia
Meaning: A person who knows a lot of information.
In a Sentence: Ask Jane — she’s a walking encyclopedia of world history.
Other Ways to Say: Highly knowledgeable, well-read
9. Pick someone’s brain
Meaning: To ask someone knowledgeable for information.
In a Sentence: Can I pick your brain about this project?
Other Ways to Say: Get advice, consult
10. Shed light on
Meaning: To clarify or explain something.
In a Sentence: The report shed light on the causes of the problem.
Other Ways to Say: Explain, make clear
11. Read between the lines
Meaning: To understand the hidden meaning.
In a Sentence: He didn’t say it directly, but I read between the lines.
Other Ways to Say: Interpret, understand implicitly
12. Put on your thinking cap
Meaning: To think deeply about something.
In a Sentence: You’ll need to put on your thinking cap to solve this puzzle.
Other Ways to Say: Concentrate, reflect
13. Know something like the back of your hand
Meaning: To know something very well.
In a Sentence: I know this town like the back of my hand.
Other Ways to Say: Be very familiar, have full knowledge
14. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize something perfectly.
In a Sentence: I learned the poem by heart.
Other Ways to Say: Memorize, commit to memory
15. Soak up knowledge
Meaning: To learn quickly and easily.
In a Sentence: She soaks up knowledge like a sponge.
Other Ways to Say: Absorb information, learn quickly
16. A quick study
Meaning: Someone who learns things fast.
In a Sentence: He’s a quick study and adapted to the software in no time.
Other Ways to Say: Fast learner, sharp mind
17. Put two and two together
Meaning: To make a conclusion based on facts.
In a Sentence: I put two and two together and figured out the surprise.
Other Ways to Say: Deduce, understand the situation
18. Out of one’s depth
Meaning: Lacking knowledge or experience.
In a Sentence: I felt out of my depth in the advanced coding class.
Other Ways to Say: Inexperienced, overwhelmed
19. A wealth of knowledge
Meaning: Having a lot of useful knowledge.
In a Sentence: The professor is a wealth of knowledge on ancient history.
Other Ways to Say: Highly informed, expert
20. Get the hang of
Meaning: To learn how to do something over time.
In a Sentence: After a few tries, I got the hang of skiing.
Other Ways to Say: Learn gradually, become skilled
21. Drop some knowledge
Meaning: To share useful or interesting information.
In a Sentence: He dropped some serious knowledge during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Share insights, enlighten
22. Clue someone in
Meaning: To give information to someone.
In a Sentence: I had to clue him in on the details of the project.
Other Ways to Say: Inform, brief
23. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To describe something exactly right.
In a Sentence: You hit the nail on the head with that explanation.
Other Ways to Say: Be precise, get it right
24. Know it inside out
Meaning: To understand thoroughly.
In a Sentence: She knows this software inside out.
Other Ways to Say: Be an expert, master something
25. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To gain knowledge through experience or mistakes.
In a Sentence: He learned the hard way not to ignore deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: Experience the consequences, tough lesson
26. Smart cookie
Meaning: A clever or intelligent person.
In a Sentence: Don’t underestimate her — she’s a smart cookie.
Other Ways to Say: Sharp mind, clever person
27. Street smart
Meaning: Knowledgeable in real-life situations.
In a Sentence: He’s not book smart, but definitely street smart.
Other Ways to Say: Practical knowledge, streetwise
28. Book smart
Meaning: Knowledgeable through study rather than experience.
In a Sentence: She’s book smart but lacks hands-on experience.
Other Ways to Say: Academically intelligent, learned
29. Common sense
Meaning: Practical knowledge or good judgment.
In a Sentence: Use your common sense in risky situations.
Other Ways to Say: Practical intelligence, logic
30. Put your thinking cap on
Meaning: To begin serious thinking.
In a Sentence: It’s time to put your thinking cap on for this riddle.
Other Ways to Say: Focus, engage brain
31. Learn from the best
Meaning: To gain knowledge from experts.
In a Sentence: He learned from the best in the industry.
Other Ways to Say: Be mentored, study under pros
32. Mind like a steel trap
Meaning: Sharp and quick mind.
In a Sentence: She has a mind like a steel trap — nothing escapes her.
Other Ways to Say: Sharp memory, alert
33. Think on your feet
Meaning: To respond quickly and intelligently.
In a Sentence: You need to think on your feet during live debates.
Other Ways to Say: React smartly, be quick-witted
34. Make heads or tails of
Meaning: To understand something complicated.
In a Sentence: I can’t make heads or tails of this math problem.
Other Ways to Say: Understand, figure out
35. Bright spark
Meaning: An intelligent or quick-witted person.
In a Sentence: He’s the bright spark of the group.
Other Ways to Say: Genius, clever one
36. Go over someone’s head
Meaning: Too complex for someone to understand.
In a Sentence: That lecture went over my head.
Other Ways to Say: Too difficult, hard to grasp
37. Sit at the feet of
Meaning: To learn from someone knowledgeable.
In a Sentence: I had the honor to sit at the feet of a great scientist.
Other Ways to Say: Be mentored, gain wisdom
38. Learn the ins and outs
Meaning: To understand every part of something.
In a Sentence: I spent weeks learning the ins and outs of the business.
Other Ways to Say: Master completely, get full understanding
39. Get schooled
Meaning: To be taught or corrected, often unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: I got schooled in that debate by a teenager!
Other Ways to Say: Be taught a lesson, get corrected
40. Wrap your head around
Meaning: To understand something complex.
In a Sentence: I’m still trying to wrap my head around quantum physics.
Other Ways to Say: Grasp, comprehend
41. Make sense of
Meaning: To understand something clearly.
In a Sentence: I need time to make sense of this report.
Other Ways to Say: Understand, interpret
42. Learn by doing
Meaning: To gain knowledge through practical experience.
In a Sentence: The best way to learn coding is by doing.
Other Ways to Say: Hands-on learning, practical learning
43. Food for thought
Meaning: Something that makes you think deeply.
In a Sentence: That documentary gave me food for thought.
Other Ways to Say: Thought-provoking, reflective
44. Be wise to
Meaning: To be aware or knowledgeable about something.
In a Sentence: He was wise to their tricks.
Other Ways to Say: Aware, alert
45. Put two and two together
Meaning: To use clues to understand something.
In a Sentence: She put two and two together and solved the mystery.
Other Ways to Say: Deduce, figure it out
46. Connect the dots
Meaning: To make sense of related information.
In a Sentence: He connected the dots and realized the truth.
Other Ways to Say: Understand the pattern, piece things together
47. Get wise
Meaning: To become more knowledgeable or aware.
In a Sentence: He got wise to the scam just in time.
Other Ways to Say: Catch on, figure out
48. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something with great energy and knowledge.
In a Sentence: She hit the ground running in her new role.
Other Ways to Say: Start strong, be prepared
49. Be on the ball
Meaning: To be alert and knowledgeable.
In a Sentence: He’s really on the ball when it comes to tech trends.
Other Ways to Say: Stay updated, be sharp
50. Soak it all in
Meaning: To take in information or surroundings fully.
In a Sentence: I just sat and soaked it all in during the lecture.
Other Ways to Say: Absorb knowledge, take in everything
